Work Text:
At the sound of the dining room door opening, Jonathan turned from the viewport, smiling when he saw who would be joining him for breakfast. Chef had been a bit mysterious about the special meal he was planning.
“Good morning, Malcolm.” The greeting was automatic, even though they’d parted only an hour earlier. But catching sight of the PADD his tactical officer was carrying brought to mind vivid memories of a long-ago breakfast with him.
“I know you don’t like reading memos at mealtime, Jon. But I think you should take a look at this. It has to do with some duty rosters…”
This wasn’t just a memory – it was déjà vu.
Jon gave his partner a quizzical look, but accepted the PADD and began to read. It wasn’t at all what he was expecting. Not a roster… This was a love letter.
‘… don’t know if you remember the date, but this is the fifth anniversary of the Romulan minefield. And we never did get to finish that breakfast… ‘
The reading was interrupted by the arrival of Chef, personally serving up his specialty eggs Benedict. “I thought you two might appreciate not having a steward popping in and out today. And I know this was a favorite. Bon appétit!” He was gone before either of the men could thank him, but not before Jonathan caught the smile he exchanged with Malcolm.
Unlike on the previous occasion, Malcolm immediately took a bite of his eggs, murmuring that they really were lovely. Jonathan tasted his own meal and nodded agreement before returning his attention to the letter.
‘… and I know you didn’t really want to read the memo I handed you that day. But how do you know that duty roster request wasn’t really something like this one? Captain, I’m requesting permission to reassign crew to cover tonight’s shift so I can spend the evening and night with you…’
After nearly sputtering his orange juice on it, he handed the PADD back, smiling as he met Malcolm’s eyes.
“Approved!”